From The Philippines, Topan Kalmaegi Terjang Vietnam, 5 People Died

UNSPLASH/Marcus Woodbridge ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - The death toll from Typhoon Kalmaegi in the Philippines and Vietnam continues to grow to 188 people. Most recently, 5 people were reported to have died in Vietnam after a typhoon hit the coastal area with strong winds and heavy rains.

The Typhoon landed in central Vietnam on Thursday night, uprooting trees, damaging houses, and triggering power outages, before weakening as it moves to the mainland.

Authorities have warned of possible heavy rains of up to 200 millimeters (8 inches) in central provinces from Thanh Hoa to Quang Tri, and said rising river water levels from Hue to Dak Lak could trigger floods and landslides.

In the Philippines, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. visited evacuation centers on Friday, distributing aid and convincing victims of ongoing government support, after Kalmaegi left 135 people missing and injured 96 others.

"We are very, very sorry," he told provincial officials.

"Most of the victims were swept away by the swift water, volume and speed of flash floods."

Kalmaegi is the 13th typhoon formed in the South China Sea this year.

Vietnam and the Philippines are particularly vulnerable to tropical storms and typhoons as they are located along the Pacific typhoon belt, which has been regularly damaged and killed during the peak storm season.

Scientists have warned that storms like Kalmaegi are becoming stronger as global temperatures rise.

Philippine civil aviation controllers have increased vigilance across airport centers and operations in preparation for another storm, Fung-wong, which is expected to escalate to a super typhoon before landing in the northern Philippines on Sunday evening or Monday morning.